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**Hugh** · 06-07-2024, 15:54

Who do you think should be the next Leader of the Conservative Party?

https://www.thetimes.com/article/f7f...69777781d34c01

Quote:

Contenders for the Tory crown

With the battle against Labour lost, the surviving Tory MPs can now focus on another political campaign for which many of them have long been preparing — the one to lead the party.

Kemi Badenoch: Former business secretary, North West Essex (2,610 majority)
The pitch: Anti-woke warrior who excites the Tory faithful. Badenoch’s standing among activists rose the more vocally loyal she was to Rishi Sunak. The 44-year-old has many admirers but a reluctance to woo MPs could cost her. One Tory figure said: “Kemi would start a fight in an empty room.”

James Cleverly: Former home secretary, Braintree (3,670 majority)
The pitch: Cleverly would be a challenge to the left because his childhood hardship hardened his belief in austerity. A supporter said the 54-year-old was a contrast to Starmer and Sunak “in that he’s actually human”. Another Tory said: “James could be the unifier — but the party might not want a unifier.”

Robert Jenrick: Former immigration minister, Newark (3,572 majority)
The pitch: Right-wing convert who can appeal to centrists and the next generation. Jenrick, 42, has been one of the most overt candidates in sounding out colleagues likely to win their seats. He is seeking a new audience and recently was the star guest at a *dinner hosted by Liz Truss’s PopCon group. One of those considering supporting him said: “He’s a calming influence … but he doesn’t have the Boris-style personality that attracts people.” Jenrick would put hardline immigration policies at the front of his campaign — but that might deter the One Nation caucus.

Dame Priti Patel: Former home secretary, Witham (5,145 majority)
The pitch: A Johnsonian candidate who can unify and attack. Patel, 52, has been studiously loyal to Sunak and is considering a pitch as the candidate who can unify the party. Questions remain, however, over whether her blunt rhetoric will hold her back.

Tom Tugendhat Former security minister, Tonbridge (11,166 majority)
The pitch: He is one of the few who would appeal to Tory members and voters. Tugendhat, 51, saw his chances boosted by Penny Mordaunt’s loss. A friend said: “After 1997, it took the Tories eight years and two failed attempts until they picked a winner in David Cameron. We need to avoid making the same mistake.”

Suella Braverman: Former home secretary, Fareham & Waterlooville (6,079 majority)
The pitch: A radical, clean-break agenda is needed to win back the red wall. Some Tories have said Braverman, 44, would be more at home in Reform UK, but she has called for the right to unite.

Victoria Atkins: Former health secretary, Louth & Horncastle (5,506 majority)
The pitch: Heir to the One Nation throne who can modernise the Tories. Oliver Dowden, the outgoing deputy prime minister, cited the 48-year-old as one of the “stars”. But another colleague said: “There’s no way she’ll get the members’ vote.”